When I was broadcasting on-location at Kennedy Mall a couple weeks ago, I met a recent college graduate with one of the most unique stories I'd heard in sometime. Imagine being 22-years-old and literally winning a franchise to own/operate upon getting your degree.

It's a story fit for a movie, but that's exactly what happened to Caleb Keling, a native of Saint Joseph, MO, who won the Auntie Anne's location inside Dubuque's Kennedy Mall. Keling earned the franchise in a competition sponsored by Missouri Western State University's Center for Franchise Development, per a press release from Kennedy Mall:

Caleb Keling, owner of the Auntie Anne's location in Kennedy Mall. Photo Credits: Steve Pulaski
Caleb Keling, owner of the Auntie Anne's location in Kennedy Mall. Photo Credits: Steve Pulaski
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Keling, from St. Joseph, Missouri, was a student in a senior-level Applied Business Ownership class this spring. Students in the class prepared business plans, and Keling presented his plan to a panel of judges, which awarded him the franchise. - per Kennedy Mall's press release

After meeting Keling during my live broadcasts, I knew I had to get him behind the microphone to share his story with Dubuque and the Tri-States. He's the youngest business owner inside Kennedy Mall, and he's still relatively new to Dubuque, having uprooted from Saint Joseph along with his mom and dad.

Keling's newfound ownership of Auntie Anne's find itself a stranger-than-fiction circumvention from his first entrepreneurial endeavor. In school, him and his two partners took it upon themselves to purchase soft pretzels, store them in a heated crock pot, and sell them during their school's lunch-time to turn a profit.

Photo Credit: Caleb Keling
Photo Credit: Caleb Keling
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Now, Keling is the owner of one of the most popular eateries inside Dubuque's premier shopping destination.

During our interview, Keling spoke about how this was all a part of a six-year plan that festered after meeting the winner of another franchise through the Applied Business Ownership's competition. He made the choice to attend Missouri Western because of this possibility, and went into detail about how shocked yet rewarded he was when he found out he was the winner of an Auntie Anne's of his own:

It was indescribable. I was sort of in a state of shock. It's pretty crazy reliving that moment [....] for me, it was a very big deal. That's life-changing, to go from a college student to owning your own franchise. - Caleb Keling, per our interview

Photo Credit: Caleb Keling
Photo Credit: Caleb Keling
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Keling assumes ownership of a pretzel stand that generated nearly $500,000 in sales last year. It's a massively successful eatery that serves up soft pretzels, pretzel dogs, bites, and cinnamon pretzels, as well as signature beverages. It's the perfect complement to a busy day of shopping or mall-walking.

Take a listen to my interview with Caleb Keling below. Learn more about other significant developments regarding Dubuque's Kennedy Mall here.

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